Light effect systems for forming a light beam in order to create various light effects have been known for many years.
Such light effect systems can for instance be a framing systems have a number of shutter blades which can be moved in and out of the light beam by a number of actuators. The light beam is shaped/delimited/framed by adjusting the position of each shutter blade relatively to the light beam and thereby achieving the wanted framing the light beam. The framing systems are typically used in light fixtures such as moving heads, follow spots and spot lights generating a light beam. Such light fixtures comprise a light source generating a light beam and a number of optical components generating different optical effects.
WO9636834, WO03023513, WO07134609, disclose framing systems according to prior art where a number of shutter blades surrounds the light beam and can be moved in and out of the light beam by a number of actuators. The shutter blades and actuators are mounted on a frame support rotatable carried by a base support. These framing systems are used in light fixtures having a light source generating a light beam, a lens system for focusing and/or zooming the light beam and controlling means (CPU; microprocessors, microcontrollers, PLD or the like) for controlling the components of the light fixture. Light fixtures with framing system are often used in connection with stages where a part of the stage or a performer needs to be illuminated. The light beam is framed such that the light beam only illuminates the desired part of the stage or the performer. The light fixtures are typical set up prior to the show by physical positioning the light fixtures and/or by programming the light fixtures through a light controller communicating with the controlling means of the light fixture. This process is often very time-consuming as an operator manually performs the framing of the light beams, especially in huge shows with a large umber of light fixtures. The framing systems can be adjusted in a large variety of patterns as the shutter blades can be moved individually in and out of the light beam and the frame support can also be rotated relative to the light beam. However there are some limitations when framing the light beam as the frame support can only be rotated approximately 45 degrees due to mechanical restrictions around the light beam and the movement of the shutter blades are also limited in there movement. There can thus be some situations where the light fixture can not frame the light beam as desired and the result is that the light fixture needs to be physical moved in order to frame the desired areas, which is very time consuming. This physical movement can in connection with moving heads automatically be performed through the light controller, however this often need rotation of the head and yoke and reprogramming of the light show is thus needed—which is also very time consuming.
WO0184043 discloses a lighting fixture projecting a light beam for spot lighting in theater stages, cinema and television studios and the like. The fixture includes a light source at one end of a housing having a light beam exit aperture at the opposite end thereof, the light source and aperture being arranged generally concentric with a longitudinal or optical axis of the lighting fixture. One or more beam-shaping blades and preferably also other light beam influencing elements, such as one or more lenses, an iris, and/or a pattern or gobo, are arranged along the path of the light beam along the longitudinal axis through the housing from the light source to the aperture. The position of the beam-shaping blade or blades, and preferably of all the light beam influencing elements, is adjustable relative to the longitudinal axis. The fixture produces a well-defined light beam or light cone with a geometry, angle of conicity and focal point that may be altered manually or by remote control. A number of adjustment rings surrounds the light fixture and interacts with the shutter blades through a complicated mechanical system. The shutter blades can be moved in and out of the light beam by rotating the adjustment rings. The disclosed beam-shaping device are very complicated to construct as each shutter blade comprises a large number of components which need to interact in order to shape the light beam using the adjustment rings. This beam-shaping device takes further up a lot of space and it is impossible to integrate inside a light fixture as the adjustment rings need to be positioned outside the housing.
EP1898145 discloses moving head projectors comprising a base, to which base a yoke is rotationally connected, which yoke is rotationally connected to a head, which head comprises a light source placed partly inside reflective means, which reflective means forms a light beam, which light beam passes through light forming means, which light beam furthermore passes through at least one lens before the light beam leaves the projector. This illumination device comprises a number of light forming means in form of GOBOs shaping the light and color filters for coloring the light beam.
WO07098764 discloses a lens system comprising at least one lens, which lens system primarily applies for use in a light assembly comprising at least one light source, which generates a beam of light into light forming means and further through a front lens, characterized in that the lens system comprises at least one supplementary optical component, which supplementary optical component is moved in or out of the light beam by first actuating means, which first actuating means moves the supplementary optical component in a rotating movement around an axis for rotation from a first position outside the light beam into a second position in the light beam, which axis for rotation has a direction mostly perpendicular to the light beam. The Lens system can be change between operation modes automatically by activating or deactivating activation means so as to change the performance of a light fixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,770 discloses a lighting apparatus including an effect wheel which is mounted on a rotation mechanism. The rotation mechanism is mounted on a mechanism which moves the effect wheel from a position outside of the light path to a position in which the effect wheel intersects the light path to provide a continuous wheel effect. The translation mechanism can move the effect wheel between positions in which the effect wheel crosses the light path in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction, respectively. The apparatus allows a continuous wheel effect to be added to a multi-purpose luminaire and also allows the direction of travel of the continuous wheel effect across the illuminated field to be continuously varied.
EP 1 516 14 discloses an apparatus for shaping a light beam in a lighting device, comprising a planar occluding element arranged in a plane generally orthogonal to the axis of the light beam and a support disc disposed parallel to the occluding element, wherein the occluding element is rotatable mounted on the support disc for rotation about a first axis, parallel to the axis of the light beam and movable in a path offset from the axis of the light beam and wherein the support disc is rotatable about the axis of the light beam to move the first axis in a circular orbit about the axis of the light beam.
US2010/0103677 discloses a theatre lighting apparatus comprising a base, a communications port, a processor, a memory, and a lamp housing. The lamp housing includes a lamp, a reflector, an output lens, a motor, and a homogenizing lens. The homogenizing lens comprises of a plurality of radically arranged lenticular lenses and a processor is programmed to enable a motor to vary a position of the homogenizing lens in relation to a position of the output lens. The homogenizing lens may be comprised of a first half and a second half, each of which may have a plurality of radically arranged lenticular lenses. The lightning apparatus comprises also a prism apparatus positioned between the light source and the output lens. The prism apparatus is constructed of a plurality of prisms mounted to a substrate in operation incoming light rays shown passes through the substrate and through the base of each prism where a first portion of light rays is refracted into a first direction exiting from one side of the prisms, and a second portion of light rays is refracted into a second direction exiting from another side of the prism. The prism apparatus is attached to a rotation motor capable of rotating the prism apparatus about its center and the prism apparatus and rotation motor are attached to a lead screw and driving motor 606 so the prism apparatus can be transitioned into a light beam. The combination of the prism apparatus and a polymer fresnel front lens results in two substantially separate exiting beams of light (referred to as twin beams). The prism apparatus is also connected to a displacement motor capable of displacing he prism apparatus in relation the front lens can also be moved the angular deviation of the two separate beams of light can hereby be controlled. The twin beams are of each other, since they primarily are created by the prism apparatus and the characteristics (e.g. intensity, color, divergence, size) of the twin beam can thus substantially the same and cannot be controlled independently.
The market for entertainment lighting is often driven by the number of features and effects which the lighting devices are cable of providing and light designers often want to create special and spectacular shows and there is thus a need for new light effects.